National Defense Authorization Act recognizes American Osteopathic Association's Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists

CHICAGO, April 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Defense Health Agency (DHA) has recognized the Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists of the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) as a physician certifying organization meeting the criteria outlined in the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025.

Through its 16 specialty certifying boards, AOA Board Certification serves as an important quality marker for patients, employers, insurers and regulators. In addition to ensuring advancement of clinical knowledge and skills, the designation affirms a physician's commitment to the osteopathic philosophy of whole-person care.

As a joint, integrated combat support agency, the DHA enables the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force medical services to provide a medically ready force in both peacetime and wartime. To ensure that specialty care provided to U.S. military personnel and veterans meets high standards for quality and safety, the DHA established the following criteria for physician certifying organizations:

• Maintain a process to define, periodically review, enforce and update specific standards regarding knowledge and skills of the specialty or subspecialty.
• Administer a psychometrically valid assessment to determine whether a physician meets standards for initial certification, recertification or continuing certification.
• Establish and enforce a code of professional conduct.
• Require that a physician satisfy the certifying body's requirements for initial certification and any applicable recertification or continuing certification requirements of the certifying body that granted the initial certification.

For more than 80 years, AOA Board Certification has served as a trusted indicator of clinical excellence and commitment to the osteopathic philosophy of medicine. "AOA Board Certification has always upheld strenuous standards with the knowledge that prioritizing the health and well-being of patients is the ultimate goal," said Carolyn Quist, DO, chair of the AOA's Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists. "On behalf of all our boards, I express sincere appreciation for this recognition by the Defense Health Agency."

The AOA's Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists oversees the administration of initial board certification and osteopathic continuous certification for 16 specialty certifying boards, including 27 primary specialties and 48 subspecialties. Learn more at https://certification.osteopathic.org/.

About the American Osteopathic Association
The American Osteopathic Association (AOA) represents more than 197,000 osteopathic physicians (DOs) and osteopathic medical students; promotes public health; encourages scientific research; and serves as the primary certifying body for DOs. To learn more about DOs and the osteopathic philosophy of medicine, visit https://www.osteopathic.org.  

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SOURCE American Osteopathic Association